Tranny Shifter Update... sort of....

[Steven79]

Hey everyone,

I just got off the phone with my Smart center and asked about the tranny shifter issue.

I was told the problem existed for the first few batches of cars delivered to the US. I assume the March/April 07 reservations. Smart required the dealerships to "tighten a bolt/screw" during the Pre Delivery Inspection.

Apparently the problem is now corrected from the factory while being built. My Smart center no longer tightens this bolt during the PDI, AND my Smart center has had no vehicles come it with a shifter failure to date.


Just wanted to let everyone know what "I" was told. Take it with a grain of salt and let's hope for the best.


Maybe some of you can call your smart center to see what they tell you and post it here.

Happy motoring!
-Steven

[Old smart]

sc Virginia Beach told me in mid-March that the shifter was being dealt with at the point or origin.

[a2jack]

Steven.

Our cars build date is 01-08. Not 07. It goes beyond the loose cable clamp issue (tighten Bolt).

Read the posts here and on CsC.

One poster was told by smart usa that a recall was in the works.

A2Jack

[Mousecat]

Universal smart claims that there never was an issue with the transmission and none have ever come back broken.

[Steven79]

Originally Posted by a2jack

Steven.

Our cars build date is 01-08. Not 07. It goes beyond the loose cable clamp issue (tighten Bolt).

Read the posts here and on CsC.

On poster was told by smart usa that a recall was in the works.

A2Jack

I have been researching and tracking the broken shifter issue extensively.

By 2007, i meant "reservation" date, not the manufacture date. It seems the majority of problematic shifters have a 12/07-1/08 build date...

We will see about a official recall.. i personally doubt it will happen, since the problem MAY already be corrected at the factory. I think smart will repair on a "wait till failure" basis to avoid further public scrutiny.

[Steven79]

Originally Posted by Mousecat

Universal smart claims that there never was an issue with the transmission and none have ever come back broken.

lol, how typical!

[Old smart]

scVAB said that there was a problem. Though he didn't use the word "recall," it was designated "(something)-001."

[msjohnson1974]

I have an 11/07 build date that sat in port for a month and at the dealer another week or two (whilst they dealt with our city's crack staff of building inspectors to get the CO for the dealership).

I haven't had the problem (yet) and I don't have any indication that there is a problem starting.

German auto companies don't really do recalls until forced - kinda like the Japanese... never had a recall for any previous German or Japanese car. BMW used to perform "service bulletin" maintenance when I got an oil change or would call to perform them. My neighbor had a Toyota Tundra with grossly undersized rotors that Toyota's response was an "upgrade kit" for some ridiculous cost to fix that.

Just the nature of management... besides everyone would go bonkers over a recall (when they're common on US made cars) and they probably are looking to avoid that.

[a2jack]

There are two different problems now occurring with our shifters.

1.Failure of the plastic parts inside the knob assy that do not allow the unlatch (Dog) button to be fully depressed.

2. An over-riding of the Park notch that allows the shifter to go too far forward and hang up.

There is an ongoing discussion of these problems now taking place on CsC . Check it out.

http://clubsmartcar.com/index.php?showforum=85

A2Jack.

[xcrew229x]

A "recall" is more likely to be safety related than not. Technical Service Bulletins cover it 'til someone gets hurt. If they start experiencing mass brake failures, they'll recall it. Shifters...... nah.